Yes to God’s Purpose For My Life by Phylicia Joi Morgan

            As far as I can remember, for some reason I always like going to see my pediatrician.  Everyone was so nice and I knew they were there to help me. Before attending high school, my dad gave me the book “Gifted Hands” by Dr. Ben Carson to read.  Dr. Ben Carson then became my first famous role model and one of the reasons I knew I could be whatever I wanted, no matter the obstacles ahead.  I attended a catholic high school and community service was required.  I decided to call my pediatric office and asked if they let high school students volunteer. To my surprise, they did, and I was able to work in the business office.  I mostly did filing of charts and learned how billing was performed.   Later my first job was in the summer of my 10^th grade year through the Division of Youth Service (DYS).  This program was offered through the city of Birmingham, AL.  This summer program was to prepare students for job interviews and certain work ethics.  We had to find our own job and where did I go? Yes, back to my pediatrician office.  Since I had volunteered in the business office during community service I was now able to help triarge with the nurses.  Unknowingly I was learning my way around the office. 

            Later I went on to college to major in Biology at Tuskegee University.  I took a KAPLAN MCAT course after graduating but my score wasn’t high enough for entrance into medical school.  I later deviated from my path and thought maybe I will try a master’s in nutrition and it would be a GPA booster for my entrance into medical school.  I could go to school for free and get paid for my research.  So, I went back to Tuskegee where I did extensive research with a thesis entitled “"Fresh and Freeze-Dried Purslane Extracts Anti-Proliferative Effects on Human Prostate and Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines".  I then decided to apply for the Anesthesiologist Assistant program toward the end of my graduate year at NOVA Southeastern University in Florida.  The program requires that you shadowed an anesthesiologist, anesthesiologist assistant, or a nurse anesthetics (NA) for so many hours. I then realized that was not for me when I asked the NA what was the worst thing about her job and she replied you can put a person to sleep but don’t know if you can wake them up.  That scared me and made me realize I didn’t want that to be on my conscious.

             So, after completing graduate school I came home to shadow both of my Pediatricians, who had played influential roles in my life as my doctors and role model.  They gave me so many opportunities to see every aspect of their office, Metro Pediatrics.  I didn’t realize until shadowing, how having the background in nutrition was an added bonus to my dream of becoming a future pediatrician until that doctor made it known to me and her patients.  So I eventually went to my job that I had right after undergrad, in a lab called BioLife Plasma services testing plasma for different diseases.  After taking the MCAT again for the second time but with a different study method, that improved my score but not quite, I was feeling defeated.

            Then a really good friend connected me with an individual that went to a Caribbean medical school.  After I spoke with that person I decided to do my own research and applied to International American University (IAU) Medical College, where I got accepted. My dream of becoming a pediatrician was not deferred but only delayed.  The delay only prepared me for the greatest challenge ever, MEDICAL SCHOOL in a FOREIGN Country.  So it seems that all I had to do was fully commit to what I really wanted to do and when I did I said yes to everything.  YES, to moving to a foreign country.  Yes, to leaving family and friends.  Yes to leaving my comfort zone.  Yes to leaving a 9 month relationship for it to only end badly within 3 months of me being on the island while they were in the States.  Yes to obtaining an online master’s degree in Heath Care Administration while in medical school.  I said Yes to meeting and learning about different cultures, religions, and backgrounds.  I said yes to a new set of friends and family that don’t look like me.  My life has been forever changed and I will never forget my experience living in St. Lucia.  I have Tuskegee University to thank for preparing me for difficult and challenging situations living in a 3^rd world country.   I am now done with all of my medical school courses and studying for USMLE Step 1 as a 3^rd year medical student.  Fast forwarding to today I have said Yes to love and trust, with someone who supports me and understand the importance of this journey to me.  With that breakup I had starting medical school I figured not again on this journey to my dream, but God saw differently.  You will take your journey for your dream alone because it’s your destiny, but only few can endure your journey challenge with you.  My favorite quote and story of my life it seems, is “the race is not given to the swift but the one that endures it”.  I am an OVERCOMER!!!